The present invention relates to an amusement vehicle shaped like an animal or robot, and more specifically to an electric-powered amusement vehicle adapted to carry a child thereon so that the child can control the vehicle for amusement by himself.
Various amusement vehicles are conventionally used in recreation grounds or other amusement facilities. Typical amusement vehicles include baby cars carrying a storage battery. Some of these baby cars are shaped like animals, robots, etc. Although outwardly resembling animals or the like, however, the conventional baby cars of this type cannot operate in an animal-like manner, having only rotatable wheels attached to the bottom portion of the body as their means of movement. In other words, front and rear legs on either side of the body of baby cars are mere ornaments that never move. Despite the attractive appearance taking after animals or the like, therefore, these vehicles lack an interesting behavior.
Thereupon, amusement vehicles have recently been developed which outwardly can walk with their front and rear legs behaving like living animals. As an typical example of these vehicles, a walking/riding toy shaped like an animal is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 36232/82. In this walking/riding toy, when a motor is started by turning a switch on, cranks for front and rear legs are actuated. As these cranks are driven, the front and rear legs are swung back and forth. A wheel is attached to the lower end portion of each of the front and rear legs. The wheel can rotate only in the forward direction, that is, it is prevented from rotating reversely. Thus, the walking/riding toy can advance swinging its front and rear legs back and forth.
In the case of the prior art walking/riding toy constructed in this manner, however, one of the four wheels may sometimes be lifted off the running surface if the surface is bumpy or inclined. Further, this conventional amusement vehicle cannot advance without alternately swinging the front and rear legs which bear the weight of a rider. Accordingly, it is subject to a substantial driving energy loss, and is, therefore, low in running capability and in positional stability. Using the wheels which can rotate only in the forward direction, moreover, the walking/riding toy of this type can advance, but cannot back up. It is also subject to drawbacks such that it cannot smoothly change its course sideways, and that the turning radius for the change of course is long.